July 30-Penne Rosa with Shrimp

Yet another gem, found on Pinterest. 

(What would I do without Pinterest? Actually, I'd probably just cook out of a cook book, instead of off an iPhone screen, which would probably be a whole lot easier to read...But I may be at a loss for inspiration.) 

This was a great dish. Delicious. Creamy. Easy. Healthy. What more can you ask for?

Penne Rosa with Shrimp

Original Recipe by Cassie Johnson 

12 ounces whole wheat pasta 

(To satisfy varying taste preferences, I found the happy medium with high-fiber white pasta...Unlike wheat pasta, no one can taste the difference!)

1tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced 

(or for gals like me who just want to use what they have on-hand, garlic powder works just fine!)

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (Tonight's tomatoes were garden grown...It's nice to have generous neighbors)

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups fresh spinach

10 oz cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (If you don't like seafood, this can be optional.)

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/3 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Cook penne according to directions. Drain pasta and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. If you are using fresh garlic, add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté 2 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook additional 2 minutes.

4. Remove skillet from heat, add spinach, and cover. Let sit about 2 minutes, to wilt the spinach. 

5. Remove lid and return skillet to low heat. Add penne, Greek yogurt, and marinara sauce. Toss together until pasta and veggies are coated. Warm through.
6. Serve. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Served with fresh-from-the-garden green beans, compliments of my brother's girlfriend. Thanks for thinking of us, Becca!

July 27-Turkey Avocado Quesadillas

July has been a lazy (yet tasty) month for me. Blame it on the heat, the busyness of the summer season, or just plain laziness...Whatever the case, we haven't been missing out on delicious dishes. You can have simple and yummy. Here is another quick ready-in-5-minutes supper, for your convenience.

Turkey Avocado Quesadillas

1 large tortilla

sliced deli turkey

1 slice cheese

1/4 avocado, sliced

crushed red pepper (optional)

You probably know how to make a quesadilla...In case the summer heat makes it hard to sort through your thoughts, feel free to follow these directions: Place items on one side of a tortilla, fold in half, and grill over a skillet on each side until cheese is melted. Enjoy with salsa.

July 22- Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Tonight's supper was simply a miss-mash of leftovers, thrown together into something that turned out quite yummy! There was a tupperware container of leftover quinoa in the refrigerator, just begging to be eaten. I love quinoa but it needs a little something extra to dress it up. Determined to make a meal of a side, I dug through the refrigerator and collected a few ingredients to spice things up. The result was simple, yet satisfying.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup black beans

1/4 avocado, chopped into small pieces

1/2 tomato

1 green onion

2 tsp chunky salsa

1 dash of onion power

Mix, microwave, enjoy. 

July 20- Vegetarian Swiss Muffin Melt

Tonight was one of those "me-time" chill out evenings. You know, those evenings where you sit on the couch in your pajamas and eat chocolate, while catching up on last week's episode of The Bachelorette. Nights like these and complicated recipes just don't mix. On these nights, you just want to open the fridge and throw something together out of the ingredients that you already have. 

And that was how the muffin melt was created. 

(Followed by chocolate yogurt and last week's episode of The Bachelorette). 

Vegetarian Swiss Muffin Melt

1 wheat English muffin

spinach

2 tomato slices

1-2 slices Swiss cheese

crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Split English muffin into halves and top with spinach, tomato, and cheese. Sprinkle crushed red pepper on cheese. 

Bake 10-15 minutes, until muffin is crispy and cheese is melted.

July 18-Grilled Swiss, Ham, and Pineapple Sammies

My mom came up with this delicious sandwich combination when I was a kid. There was a sandwich shop at our mall foot court that offered a similar selection, and she was inspired. Quick enough to whip up in 10 minutes, versatile enough to enjoy for lunch or dinner, tasty enough to send me into melty cheese cravings for the past week (I am now satisfied).

Grilled Swiss, Ham, and Pineapple Sammies

Deli sliced ham

Swiss cheese

Canned pineapple pieces

Deli rolls

Slice ham into thin strips and heat in a nonstick skillet, along with the pineapple pieces. Meanwhile, toast your rolls in a skillet or toaster oven. Once the ham and pineapple are heated through, divide into sections within the skillet (one section per roll). Top each section with a slice of Swiss cheese. 

Once cheese is soft, use a spatula to place the mixture into each roll.

Top with lettuce, tomato, or may if desired (I personally like them just as is). 

If you love Hawaiian style pizza, another great option is to heat up Marinara sauce for dipping. Yum!

July 11- Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole

(Original recipe from El Paso; I made a few minor tweaks.) 

1.25 lb  extra lean ground turkey 

1 16oz can refried beans

1 16oz container of chunky salsa

1 1oz package of taco seasoning

2 cups broken tortilla chips

4 medium green onions, sliced

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 cup shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Cook turkey on medium-high 5-7 minutes, in a large skillet. Stir occasionally. Once the meat is cooked, drain any excess oil. Stir in beans, salsa, and taco seasoning. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. 

3. Scatter crushed tortilla chips along the bottom of an ungreased casserole dish. Top with meat/bean mixture. Sprinkle with pepper, onion, tomato, cheese, and olives.

4. Bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

5. Serve. Top with sour cream, hot sauce, or shredded lettuce if desired. 

July 5- Shrimp Jambalaya

An easy, one-pot dish of warm comfort. Scrumptious. 

Shrimp Jambalaya

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 tbsp butter or margarine, cubed

3 cups vegetable broth

1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled 

1 1/2 cups uncooked, long grain rice

2 tsp Creole seasoning

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and bell pepper in butter until tender. 

2. Add broth and rice, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper to the skillet and bring to a boil. Once you've reached a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. 

3. Stir in tomatoes, shrimp, and peas. Heat through. 

4.Enjoy!